Apparatus for the manufacture of coke.



PATENTBD NOV. '24, 1903.

P. NAEF. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF 00KB;

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1900.

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APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COKE.

' APPLIUATION FILED APR. 21, 1900.

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z w 2N g 1' @WJTNESfESZMW R UNITED STATES Patented November 24,

PATENT OF ICE.

PAUL NAEF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,290, dated November24, 1903.

Original application filed February 1. 1898, erial No- 668.779. Dividedand this application filed April 24, 1900. Serial Ila-14,133. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern-.-

'Be it known that I, PAUL NAEF, of 132 Woody Cress avenue, near OneHundred and Sixty-fifth street, New York, in the county of 5 New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for the Manufacture of Coke; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of coke andthe recovery of :5 gas, tar, ammonia, and allied products the same beingshown and described in my application for process and apparatus formaking coke and saving by-products, Serial No.

668,779, filed February 1, 1898, of which this application is adivision; and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus toproduce coke or to coke'coal in a single furnace in much largerquantities than has been done heretofore and on a scale commensuratewith the requirements of a blast-furnace and to utilize the by-products.

Further objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus to producecoke andby-products from coal with a small waste of heat, so that theheat units required for the distillation only are consumed, theremaining heat units being contained in the coke and gas; to increasethe amount of ammonia recovered by the action of superheated steam 5 onthe nitrogenous constituents of the coke in an incandescent state; to soconstruct the apparatus as to utilize most of the volatile matter forthe production of tar and gaseous hydrocarbons; to construct theapparatus in such manner as to utilize the heat of the incandescent cokefor producing steam and superheating the same; to make the coking ofcoal and the cooling and loading of the coke wholly automatic; toprovide apparatus by means of which to manufacture fuel and illuminatinggases, as well as tar, ammonia, and coke; to reduce the cost of plantinvestment and repairs per ton of coke, and to offectgreat economies inthe cost of production and in" the utilization of the by-products.

Further objects of the invention are to procoal to recover or utilizethe by-prod ucts have I the disadvantage in that they are very costly,requiring considerable repair and producing a Very limited amount ofcoke per oven. My

apparatus is designed to obviate these disadvantages and objections andto obtain the results hereinbefore stated byimproved means for supplyingall or part of the heat necessary for the distillation of the coal bymeans of oxygen. These gases are produced by the combustion of fuel inthe coking apparatus itself by injecting hot or cold air, with orwithout steam, into the same. .If a smaller volume, and consequently aricher gas containing a low percentage of nitrogen, is desired or incases where there is limited use. for the gas, it is preferable to forceair previously heated in a hot-air stove through the coking material.Part of the heat necessary for the coking is thus supplied by thepreheated air, the rest by the combustion of a small percentage of thecoke. The volume of gas can still further be reduced by supplying partof the heat required for distillation through firebrick tiles, as shownin Figure Vand more specially described and claimed by me in anotherapplication of even date.

The incandescent gases pass through a column ofcoking material ofconsiderable height. They escape from the top of the apparatus,

carrying tar and ammonia, and at a temperature not much higher thanisnecessary to prevent condensation of tar. The coke is subjected toconsiderable pressure caused by the resistance which the fuel oifers tothe passage of the gas caused chiefly by the height of the coking columnduring its formation. This process is adapted for the manufacture'ofmetallurgical coke.

As the hot gases are forced into the coking column under pressure it isan important feature to have an apparatus from which the coke can beWithdrawn without escape of gas or steam. This is achieved by injectingthe air at such a height into the column of coking material that theresistance offered to the passage of the gas is nearly the same in thedownward as in the upward direction.

If air previously heated is injected into the coking apparatus and alsoin cases where the height of the cooling-chamber has to .be decreased,the escape from the bottom of the apparatus is prevented by using irondoors between the upper part of the apparatus (coking-chamber) and thelower part (coolingchamber.)

Other important features of the apparatus are that the coke isautomatically discharged, crushed, screened, and loaded into railwaycarswithout manual labor.

The apparatus is intended for a production of up to two hundred tons ormore of coke per day in a single apparatus, while the cokeovens now inuse furnish only from three to five tons per day.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, Fig. I isa vertical section illustrating the coking apparatus having water-cooleddoors between the coking and cooling chambers. Fig. II is a verticalsection of Fig. I at right angles thereto. The section of the upper partis taken through one of the shafts of the cooling-doors, and the lowerpart shows a view of the inclined plane and the discharging and crushingarrangement. Fig. 111 is a horizontal section view through the gateshafts and coolingring. Fig. IV is a cross-section on the lines 0 0,Figs. I and II. Fig. V is a (in part) sectional view showing a completeplant, to which the devices shown in Figs. I and IV may be applied, andshowing air-stoves, coking apparatus, Washing apparatus, the necessarypipe connections, and air-pump. Fig.VI is a crosssection view of Fig. V.

The same numerals and letters of reference denote the same partsthroughout the several figures of the drawings.

In Figs. V and VI the coking apparatus is composed of a coking-chamber1, having a suitable mechanical feed 2 at the top, which may beconnected with an elevator, and a bottom cooling chamber 3 incommunication with the coking-chamber. At the juncture of the coking andcooling chambers the crosssection of the apparatus is contracted and thewall of the apparatus forms an incline 4 for the passage of the materialinto the coolingchamber.

A' circular chamber 5 surrounds the contracted portion of the apparatusand is connected with the coking-chamber by a radial series of ducts 6.Airis supplied to the chamber or channel 5 and thence to thecokingchamber by pipe 7. The hot-air blasts entering through the ducts 6under considerable pressure are driven well in toward the center of thecharge of coke and then pass up through the column of coking material inthe coking-chamber and discharge along with all the volatile products ofthe coal through pipe 8 at a temperature not much higher than isnecessary to prevent condensation of tar. Pipe 8 conducts its contentsto a suitable washing apparatus 9 to remove the tar, and

thence to a similar apparatus 10 to remove the ammonia, said washersbeing connected with a pipe 11, and the pipe 12 conducts the gas to agas-holder. (Not shown.)

Under ordinary conditions the air is injected into the coking apparatusat such a height that no gas escapes when coke is Withdrawn from thebottom even if no doors are used between the coking and coolingchambers.

As mentioned before, it is preferable to use doors 13 between the cokingand cooling chambers when hot air is injected into the apparatus. In thecooling-chamber ammonia is produced from the nitrogenous compounds ofthe coke, and if such ammonia would pass through the high-temperaturezone near the entrance of the hot air, asin the case with the apparatuswithout doors, such ammonia would be destroyed by the high temperature.By usingthe doors 13 one is enabled to draw off the steam containingammonia which is produced in the cooling-chamber 3 for the recovery ofthe said ammonia or for the purpose of conducting it into the upper partof the coking-chamber 1.

I will now describe the apparatus shown in Figs. I to IV, having irondoors between coking and cooling chambers and special mechanicaldischarging arrangements for the coke. The coking-chamber 1 of thisapparatus is supported on iron columns A, and the cooling-chamber hasdischarging-doors B, a

with a rack-bar C, operated by toothed wheels D for raising them. Thecoke falls ona double-sloping floor E, along the ridge of which there isa perforated pipe F for injecting steam or spraying water. At the bottomof the slopes or part way down the slopes there are shafts G, havingsecured thereto sleeves or discharging-rollers 11, provided with fingersI, which feed the coke or force it down the slopes out through thedischarge-doors B, and it slides down over the inclined screens K. Thesizes of the pieces of coke discharged depend on the distance betweenthe discharging-rollers and the discharging-doors. By mounting therollers nearer to or farther from the discharging-doors they will act tocrush the coke to different sizes as it is discharged.

The shafts G-are operated simultaneously from the outside by a worm-gearmechanism L. A number of radially-arranged steampipes 14 supply thesteam to the coolingchamber. As in this case the coking-chamber issupported byiron columns. The cooling-chamber can be constructed of aniron casing having a thin lining of bricks.

Between the coking and cooling chambers IIO is interposed a hollow ironring 22,which can, if necessary, be cooled by circulating water throughit. This ring is made in sections with tight joints, and it surroundsthe door 13, so as to render the latter inaccessible.

The ring-sections are connected together for water-circulation by shortpipes 23. A waterinduction pipe 24 leads in from a water-tank 25 to abranch pipe 26, the ends of which have turning joint connections 27 withthe ends, respectively, of the hollow shafts 15, the other ends of thesaid shafts having like rotary joint connections 28, with branches 29 ofa discharge-pipe 30, leading to the water-tank 25. The doors are securedto the shafts 15 by fastening devices 15*, for which purpose said shaftsare widened within the ring 22. Midway in each of the hollow shafts 15there is a partition 31, and upon each side of said partitions there areopenings 32 and 33 in the hollow shafts which register with likeopenings 34 and 35 in the bottom of the hollow doors 13. Thisconstruction allows Water to circulate from the tank 25, through thepipes 24 and 26, through one end of the hollow shafts 15 and theopenings 32 and 34 into the hollow doors, back through the openings 35and 33 into the hollow shafts beyondthe partitions 31,and out by thepipes 29 and 30. Water is likewise caused to circulate through thesections of the water-ring 22 and the pipe connections therebetween, 23,by an induction-pipe 24 and a discharge-pipe 39, connecting with thepipe 30. There is thus provided a double cooling apparatus for the doorsand their shafts and the rings. Therefore accumulation of steam in thedoors is wholly avoided.

The doors are operated, as before stated, by the shafts 15, mounted inthe bearings 40 and turned by worm-gearing 41, operated by ahand-wheell42, carried by the worm-shaft 43. By manipulating thehand-wheel the two shafts and their respective doors are turnedsimultaneously. I

Hot or cold air is forced into the general blast-main 16,sur-rou ndingthe apparatus, and enters the coking-chamber through numerous branchpipes 17 and ducts at a high velocity.

If heated air is used, the general blastmain 16 and branch pipes 17 arelined with brick or other non-conductin g material.

In Figs. V and VI the coking-chamber is shown lined with hollowtiles 18,forming a series of vertical flues 19, which open at the bottom on theoutside of chamber-wall. At the top they open into an annular flue 20,which has a chimney 21 for carrying off the products of combustion. Agas-pipe 2O encircles the exterior of the coking-chamber and is providedwith a number of branch gas-pipes 21 the ends of which extend into thesaid open ends of the heating-flues 19.

t For heating the air-blast to a high temperature there is shown inFigs. V and VI a pair of heating-stoves 50 and 51, with theinduction-pipes 52 and 53, leading from the airpump 3, and thedelivery-pipes 16 and 16*, connected with the hot-air flue 5 of theapparatus. The pump 3 sucks from under the hood l above thecoke-discharging doors 4*, so as to remove and dispose of any gasesescaping during the drawing of the coke. Pipe connections for gas forheating the stoves are shown at 54 and the chimney-flue therefor 55. Theair required for the combustion of the gas from pipe 54 is drawn intothe heater through a suitable opening, (not shown,) which is afterwardclosed during the air-heating period. Suitable valves 44 allow for thealternate use of the heating-stoves, one warming up with gas while airfor the hot blast is being forced through the heated stove.

The operation of the apparatus as depicted in Figs. I to IV, by whichit'is intended to manufacture gas containing but a comparatively smallpercentage of nitrogen is as follows: Goal elevated into the feed-hopperof the coking-chamber is discharged thereinto, and as the charge worksdownward reaching a higher and higher temperature in its descent throughheat from the gas-heated flues in the furnace-walls,'if such are used,and through the hot-air blasts until it finally reaches the maximumtemperature at a point just above the door and within the zone of theconverging air-blast, at which point all traces of volatile matter areremoved. As the doors are at intervals partially opened the incandescentcoke drops down into the coolingchamber, where it meets the jets ofsteam and is cooled by the sprays of water, the steam being superheatedand decomposed in its pas- 1 sage through the hot coke, setting freeammonia and cooling the coke. The coke is from time to time dischargedthrough the doors at the bottom of the cooling-chamber, gravitating downover the sloping floor thereof. Gas and all volatile products pass outthrough the pipe 8 and are conducted to the washers for removing the tarand ammonia.

It will be observed that my apparatus furnishes an amount of fuel-gaswhich can be regulated by the temperature of the blast and by supplyingmore or less heat from the flues in the chamber-walls. The fuel-gas canbe carbureted, and some of the oils and tars produced by my process canbe employed for this If the quality of the gas is no object, cold air,

with or without steam ,is blown into the coking apparatus.

The apparatus is usually built of such dimensions as to give the mostfavorable results with the coal which is to be used. With coal whichfurnishes large blocks of coke the lower end of the apparatus is made aswide as pos sible. The contraction of the diameter near the entrance ofthe air isnever made so great that it would interfere with the freedescent of the charge. It is often of advantage to adapt the operationof the apparatus to the fuel which is to be used, so as to get the mostfavorable results.

Instead of continuously charging and discharging it is sometimes ofadvantage to discharge and charge variable quantities periodically. Whenmechanical devices for charging and discharging alternately are used,this can be carried out by running them at considerable speed during acertain period and afterward stopping them altogether or running them ata lower speed for a period.

The apparatus can be used for carrying out the process of coking by hotgas or hot air described in my applications Serial Nos. 650,761 and668,780. In this case the annular channel of the coking apparatus isconnected with an air-compressor, and if hot air is used suitableheaters are arranged between the compressor and coking apparatus.

The ammonia and water gas formed in the lower chamber is conductedthrough a suitable pipe to a condensing and washing appa ratus (notshown) for the recovery of ammo nia. If it is not desirable to separatethe water-gas from the gas obtained during the coking, it can be mixedwith the gas leaving the top of the apparatus.

For the purpose of decreasing the gas-pressure near the revolving doorsand the passage of gas from the coking part to the cooling part when therevolving doors are open it is often of advantage to place the inletsfor the gaseous fluid, which supplies the heat, a considerable distanceabove the revolving doors. For the same reason the pressure in thecoking and cooling parts is kept near the revolving doors as near aspossible the same, which may be advantageously effected bypressure-regulators. The amount of coke which is periodically dischargedthrough the revolving doors and the charging is so regulated as to getthe best results from certain fuel.

It is obvious, as the case may require, that the general construction ofthe apparatus can be varied toefiect the best results of the processwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

It is an important feature of my invention that the coking of the fueland the succeeding removal of impurities can be effected withoutbreaking or crushing some of the coke to fine powder between theoperations. Thisresult is obtained by effecting both steps in onecontinuous shaft, as described. In one part of the shaft the fuel iscoked. In the other part it is treated to remove impurities by treatmentwith steam. Both operations take place simultaneously in a continuouscolumn of fuel. Only a small amount offine worthless coke is thusproduced, and very large quantities of fuel can be converted into cokein one apparatus.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- J 1. A coking apparatus consisting of anupper chamber independently supported, for coking the fuel, a lowerchamber for treating the resultant coke, with steam and water, a hollowring between said chambers and doors within said ring.

2. The combination with the coking-chamber, of a cooling-chamber, doorsat the junctu re of the chambers, and a circular chamber surrounding thedoors, as set forth.

3. The combination with the upper part and the lower part of a shaft, ofthe water-ring between the said parts, the doors within the said ring,and return-circulation communication with a water-supply, as set forth.

4.. The combination in a coking apparatus having two chambers, of doorsbetween said chambers having water-channels, hollow revoluble shaftscarrying the doors, said doors and shafts having communicatingwater-passages, as set forth. p

5. The combination in a coking apparatus having two chambers, of hollowdoors between said chambers and adapted to contain water, and havingwater-openings, of revoluble hollow shafts to which the doors aresecured, and adapted to contain water, said shafts having water-openingsfor the circulation of water through the shafts and doors, as set forth.

6. The combination in a coking apparatus having two chambers, of gatesbetween said chambers and shafts, having channels and communicatingopenings, water-supply pipes joined to the ends of the shafts so thatthe latter may be revolved to turn the doors without interfering withthe circulation of water through said pipes, and through said shafts anddoors, as set forth.

7. The combination in a coking apparatus having two chambers, of hollowdoors between said chambers and the revoluble hollow shafts to which thedoors are secured, a waterring surrounding the doors, and the pipes forwater-circulation through the ring, doors and shafts, as set forth.

V 8. The combination in a coking apparatus having two chambers, ofhollow doors between said chambers, having a partition, and the hollowrevoluble shafts to which the doors are secured having a partition, anda coolingring formed in sections, and surrounding the doors, and withthe shafts extended therethrough, means for circulating water from awater-supply through the shafts, doors and ring, comprising aninduction-pipe, having branches joined to one end of the shafts, so thatthe latter can be revolved, an inductionpipe from said branch to thering, a dischargepipe connected to said water-supply, and having branchpipes with rotary joints at the other end of the shafts, and adischarge-pipe In testimony whereof I have signed this from the saidring to the said discharge specification in the presence of two snbscribIo branch, as set forth. h ing witnesses.

9. The combination wit the ower end'of a T 5 shaft, of a double-slopingfloor having re- PAUL LAEF' cesses, and revoluble fingers adapted topass Witnesses: through said recesses and to be engaged by C. E.LANGDON, coke passing over the sloping floors. GERRIT SMITH.

